


A Courtship Most Confusing

by Madkat89



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Battle of Five Armies - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Courting Rituals, Dwarf & Hobbit Cultural Differences, Dwarf Courting, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Dwarven Ones | Soulmates, Dwarves and Hobbits Have the Same Lifespan, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hobbit Courting, Hobbit Culture & Customs, Hobbits in Erebor, Pining, Possibly Unrequited Love, Romantic Comedy, Rule 63, Stubborn Dwarves, Temporarily Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23488345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madkat89/pseuds/Madkat89
Summary: Although Bella is in love with Fili, she knows that he will never actually love her in return. All she wants to do is focus on her work, for who would want to court a hobbit spinster anyway? However, Kili only wants his adoptive sister's happiness, so he decides to find someone worthy of courting Bella. What could possibly go wrong?
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Fíli
Comments: 102
Kudos: 293





	1. A Plan is Formed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ThisBadge](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisBadge/gifts).



> This will be a fluffy comedy of errors, with a dash of angst for spice (at least I hope so, characters are so contrary, sigh). Anyway, enjoy!

Kili came running into the library, ignoring how he was frowned and whisper yelled at by several of the dwarves working there. He hollered, "Ori, Bella, where are you?"

He was hushed again but heard Bella calling faintly, "Back corner, Kili. Now shut up!!"

He raced through the stacks to find them bending over a table, carefully restoring a manuscript that looked like it dated back to the founding of Erebor. Bella didn't even bother looking up from where she was working, "What is it now, Kili?"

He all but danced impatiently as he replied, "You have to come, amad's caravan is almost at the gates."

Bella finally looked up, setting aside her tool with a frown, even as Ori stripped off his gloves and set about capping the inkwells and tidying the surface. She said quietly, "I don't know why I should be there, it wouldn't be proper."

Kili frowned at her, gently snagging her arm and towing her through the library, "What nonsense are you saying, Bella? Of course you should be there. You're one of the company, we wouldn't have managed to do all of this without you." Ori quietly seconded that and Kili added, "See, Ori agrees too. Amad is going to love you. What in the world could possibly be improper about you greeting the caravan."

Fili joined them and Bella felt her heart speed up slightly. He asked Kili, "What's she fussing about now?"

Bella hid the hint of hurt that she'd felt at that while Kili replied, "She thinks that it's not proper for her to greet the caravan for some reason. Either that or she thinks that it's not proper for her to meet amad. I haven't figured out which one yet."

She said tartly, "She is standing right here and can hear both of you just fine. And yes, it is not proper for me to greet your mother with you, for two reasons. One. It's a family moment and I shouldn't be intruding. Two. Your lady mother and both of you, as well as your uncle, are all royalty. It is not proper for me to be amongst all of you. People may get the wrong idea."

All three dwarves scoffed and Kili rolled his eyes, "You are one of the company, Bella. That makes you practically royalty as it is. Not only that, but you faced down a dragon, alone. I dare any dwarf to argue your suitability when that little fact comes up. Also, amad is dying to meet you, she's said so in her letters."

Bella stopped walking but Ori gently nudged her until she was back in motion, "You told your mother about me?"

Both Fili and Kili shrugged, "We did and I'm sure that the others have sent reports to her as well."

She shook her head fervently, "Nope! Definitely not! If that's the case, I can definitely not meet your mother."

Fili grinned at her, causing her heart to flutter slightly again, "Too late, we're already here."

She looked around and blinked, inwardly cursing the fact that they had managed to drag her outside without her even noticing. Before she could protest again, they ushered her over to where the rest of the company was gathered. Thorin nodded warmly to her, so she shut up and accepted the fact that she couldn't get out of this with grace and would just have to endure it. 

She looked around at the rest of the company and was surprised to find Bombur almost dancing with impatience, his eyes sparkling. Making her way over to Bofur, she asked quietly, "What's Bom so excited about?"

Bofur grinned at her, "You've got a smudge of ink on your nose, lass. Bombur's wife and littles are in that caravan. He's missed them something fierce while we were gone."

Bella sighed and dug into her pocket for a handkerchief. Swiping at her nose, she prayed that she wasn't just smearing the ink further. She said softly, "Do you all have kin coming?"

He must have caught the hint of wistfulness in her voice, because her turned and studied her. He replied slowly, "Most of us do, that or close friends. All those that we left behind on the quest. I know that they swung by the Shire, did no one?"

She shook her head and offered him a bright smile, "No, none felt comfortable traveling so far from their kin. However, they sent word that they sent seeds and cuttings, enough that Erebor will be green with life shortly."

Sympathy entered his eyes, so she turned away before he could say anything. She hadn't really expected anyone to come anyway, so it shouldn't have cut her, even though it did hurt a little. Still, she had tasks to keep her busy and occupied, tasks that would have made her much too busy to visit with anyone who had visited anyway. Because that's what it would have been, only a visit, because no hobbit would ever choose to voluntarily leave the Shire and settle inside a mountain. No one besides a fool of a Took and a Baggins.

She huffed out a sigh but it was lost in the cheers as the caravan rumbled to a stop. She hung back as the others rushed forward, letting out joyful cries as they were reunited with their loved ones. She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed again. She should be used to this by now, excluded from the group. She started wandering down the line of wagons, searching for the one with plants. They would need care and tending after such a long journey. She had almost reached the end of the line of wagons when she was stopped by a strange dwarf, one that had apparently come with the caravan judging by the amount of dust on him.

His hand on his belt ax, he asked suspiciously, "Who are you and why are you snooping through the wagons?"

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, "I'm Bella and I'm looking for the seedlings that were supposed to be with this caravan. Who are you?"

He straightened, "I am Kun, son of Kur, caravan guard. At your service."

She was about to ask again when Fili found her, "Bella, there you are! Why did you run off?"

The other dwarf's eyes widened comically and he bowed hastily, "Your highness! Kun, son of Kur, at your service."

Fili nodded regally, "Much appreciated. If you'll excuse us?" Without waiting for him to reply, he grabbed her arm and tugged her away, "Now Bella, why did you run off?"

She waved to the guard before turning her attention back to Fili, "I didn't run away, I was looking for the seedlings and saplings. They'll need extra care after traveling so far."

He grinned at her, "They've waited this long, they can wait a bit longer. Kee was brokenhearted that you weren't there to introduce to amad."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm sure that Kili and your mother are both just fine. I'm no one of note anyway." He frowned at her but before he could reply, Kili was there, tugging her excitedly over to a dam that so strongly resembled Thorin that it could only be the Lady Dis, "Amad, this is Bella."

Quickly freeing herself from Kili, she dropped into her best curtsy, "Pleased to meet you, Lady Dis."

Dis beamed at her, urging her to stand up, "What lovely manners. I've been dying to meet you, with everything that my brother and sons have told me about you, not to mention the rest of the company."

Bella flushed at that but offered her a warm smile, "That is very kind of you. I've been looking forward to meeting you as well, my lady."

Dis waved that aside and looped her arm through Bella's, "Just Dis, if you please. Now, you simply must tell me everything about the quest, my silly boys always leave the important things out, think that they're protecting me, bless their hearts."

Fear crept over all of the Durins expressions and Bella felt mischievousness sweep through her, "Everything? Well, that will take quite a bit. If you'd like, there are refreshments available in the company's quarters. I'm sure that you are starving from your trip and we can get better acquainted while you refresh yourself."

Dis turned and started walking into the mountain, arm still linked with Bella, "That would be lovely. Why don't you start with how all of you met."

Both princes froze, their faces turning pale, before racing after the two swiftly moving ladies in what would prove to be a vain attempt at damage control.

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time that Bella managed to free herself from Dis's clutches, leaving her alone with Thorin, Fili, and Kili to catch up on all the family events that had happened while they had been parted. She slipped out and made her way towards her workroom, praying that all of the crates had been delivered there by this time. The last of the crates were being placed there when she arrived, along with the dwarf that she had spoken with briefly earlier.

Moving towards them, she called, "Kun!"

The dwarf turned, frowning as he wondered who was calling his name. His expression lightened when he saw who it was. "Mistress Bella. Looking for the seedlings? They should be all here."

She moved into her workroom and moved over to one of the specially marked crates, opening it and pulling out a list. She asked absently, "Would you happen to know who cared for them on the way here? I have some questions for them."

He shuffled nervously, "That, uh, that would be me and a couple of others, ma'am."

Focused on carefully uncrating some of them, she said, "You might as well stay and give me a hand then, unless you have people waiting for you."

He shook his head, "My kin came with me. I can spare an hour or so. Tell me what to do."

She offered him a small smile, "Start opening the crates but don't remove anything from them. While you do that, you can tell me what care you've provided for the plants over the course of the journey."

He grinned back at her, "I can do that."

* * *

Nori made his way slowly down the hall, in search of their errant hobbit lass. The rest of the company had started gathering for the evening meal, the first that they'd all be there together once more for. Only it wouldn't be complete without the lass that had become part of it, no matter what she thought. Ori had pulled him aside and spoken with him about her odd words, about how it wouldn't be proper for her to greet the lads' mother. That and the look of resigned wistfulness every time she saw the crown prince, as if he was just out of her reach and always would be. He had reassured his baby brother that he would handle it and sent him on his way. Nori then set out to do what he did best, gather information. He had learned a few interesting things, but most of it would be wait and see, until he could say for sure.

The sound of laughter caught his attention and he looked around in surprise for the sound. To his bemusement, it seemed to be coming from Bella's office, her familiar sweet laughter mingling with a deeper dwarven laugh, although one that sounded unfamiliar to him. He sped up, making sure to keep his footsteps silent. She had great hearing after all and he didn't want her prepared for his arrival.

He poked his head carefully around the corner, surprised to find her elbow deep in dirt as she re-potted some plant or another, her face dirt smudged and her eyes shining brightly with a mirth that had been absent for much too long. She was speaking to a dwarf that he didn't recognize, although it was probably one of the caravan guards judging from his appearance, "Oh, I would've paid good money to see that. She must've been furious when she found out. I pity the one that had to tell her though."

The dwarf chuckled as well, "I'd only ever seen that color on an amethyst before, never thought a living person could achieve that shade."

Now, this situation was much too chummy for Nori's taste, especially with a dwarf that he had no idea who they were. For such a tough little hobbit lass, she could be naive at the oddest times. Pulling back from the door, neither one had noticed him, he tucked his hands in his pockets and whistled a tune nonchalantly as he made his way into her workroom. They both looked over at him curiously and he grinned at Bella before giving the other dwarf a brief once over, memorizing him carefully for later, "Thought I'd find you here, lass, with your plants and growing things. Figured that you had lost all track of time. And who might this be?"

She swiped a stray hair out of her face, managing to smear yet more dirt on her face, "This is Kun, son of Kur. He's the one that tended the plants on the journey here. And time for what?"

Nori shook his head in mock disappointment, "Why dinner, Bella, of course. Bombur wants to show off all of his littles to you and Gloin can't wait for you to finally meet his wife and son. Although you could probably pick them out of a crowded hall by now without trying, as many times as he's described them to you on the quest."

The other dwarf gaped at her, "You were on the quest?"

She nodded absently, "Yes, I was the burglar. Well, this is as good as a stopping point as any. Thanks for your help, Kun. If I have any more questions, I'll make sure to seek you out." Turning to Nori, she said, "Give me just a sec to wash my hands and then I'll come with you."

He grinned at her, "Might want to do your face as well, lass."

She laughed at that, "Guess I was having a little too much fun playing in the dirt, thanks, Nori."

She scurried into her inner office to get tidied and Nori turned his attention to the other dwarf. Pulling out a dagger, he started walking it absently over his hand as he studied the other dwarf carelessly, "Kun, was it? Tell me, Kun, how did you end up taking care of all the plants and such?"

He fidgeted, trying not to meet the spy-master's probing gaze, "Luck of the draw, really. There were several of us that didn't have secondary duties, so we ended up splitting the task of caring for them between us. It's a miracle that they reached Erebor alive, growing plants is most definitely a hobbit thing. They make it look so easy, with their green Shire, but it's blasted hard work. Nerve wracking, too. The Thain entrusted these plants to us for his granddaughter, whom I still need to find and turn them over to."

Bella returned at that moment and laughed, "You already have. I mean, really, how many hobbits do you think that there are in Erebor?"

The dwarf flushed bright red and searched desperately for something, anything to say. Bella took pity on him, "Thank you for your help, Kun, but I can take it from here. I've kept you much too long as it is, you still need to settle in, I'm sure."

Kun nodded, bowed, and then all but ran from the room.

Nori sheathed his dagger and asked cheerfully, "Ready to go, lass?"

She rolled her eyes at him, making her way out of her office and waiting until he had exited to lock the door behind her, "You didn't have to scare him, you know. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

He grinned at her as they made their way to the company common room, "Aw, you're adorable, like a wee kitten that thinks it's so fierce with it's teeny claws and larger than life attitude, but is simply really too adorable for it's own good. Speaking of which, when you said that you had connections in the Shire, you failed to mention that the Thain is related to you."

She muttered under her breath, "I'll show you kitten." She tucked that away for later when she could retaliate properly and shrugged, "You never asked who my connection is. Why does it matter anyway?"

"What, that the Thain is your grandfather?" She nodded. "It's important because you're part of the ruling family of the Shire, a beloved part of it, it sounds like."

She laughed at that, "In a way, yes. However, it's in a distant relative sort of way."

Nori asked curiously, "But you're the Thain's granddaughter, that's a direct descendant."

She nodded, "Ah, I understand your confusion. You see, my mother was one of twelve faunts, nine lads, three lasses. I am his granddaughter, but I am far, far away from the line of succession, such as it is. So, there's nothing for you to worry about."

He frowned at her, "I thought that we were friends."

She stopped, propping her hands on her hips, "What are you going on about now, of course we're friends. What in the world would make you think otherwise?"

"If you didn't want to tell me about your family, that's fine, but you don't have to lie to me."

She huffed an impatient laugh, "Oh for the love of Yavanna, I'm not lying to you. Listen." She started walking again and he followed as she carefully started listing off all of her aunts and uncles, their children and relatives, and how it worked out that she was either the forty-second or fifty-seventh in line for the Thainship depending on which way one counted. 

By the time they reached the room, Nori was flabbergasted and completely lost, wondering how in the world she could keep all of that straight in her head. Holding open the door for her, he muttered, "You lost me, lass, but you definitely convinced me. Tell Ori all that sometime so that he can write it down. We need to get your genealogy written down anyway, for the records, since you live here now."

Beaming at having managed to outwit Nori, a rare thing indeed, she asked cheerfully, "Now, why in the world would the genealogy of a simple hobbit lass matter?"

It was Balin that answered her, clearly having been about to head out and look for them, "For when you wed, of course. You'll need to join your family's lineage with that of your spouse, of course."

She turned bright red before glaring at the snickering Nori, "That's not funny."

He grinned warmly at her, "You look like a ruby, lass. Of course it's funny." Noting her distress, he sobered, asking softly, "Why isn't it funny?"

She swallowed hard, hating to have to spell it out yet again, "It's not funny to mock a spinster about marriage."

Before either Balin or Nori could reply, Gloin was there, sweeping her away to meet his family. Nori turned to Balin and asked incredulously, "Was she serious about the whole spinster thing?"

Balin frowned, concern etched on his face, "I think she was. Maybe we've been sheltering her a little too much, if she thinks that no one wants to court her."

It was Nori's turn to scowl, "None of those dwarves were fit to court her."

Balin sighed, "Aye, no one will ever truly be good enough for her. But apparently our selectiveness has caused her to question her suitability. Maybe we should inform her of the courting offers that she gets."

Kili chose that moment to join them, scowling, "Who wants to court Bella?"

Balin sighed and Nori looked troubled, "Many dwarves, Kili. We've turned them away, of course."

Kili nodded firmly, "Good, so why is this a problem?"

Nori said slowly, "She seems to have gotten it into her head that she's a spinster and no one will ever want to court or wed her."

Kili was torn at that, his sister was undoubtedly highly sought after, not that he would approve of any of the courtship requests of course. On the other hand, all that he wanted was her happiness and if she was unhappy that no one wanted to court her, that was a whole separate dilemma. Finally he ground out, the admission costing him greatly, "Well, then we'll just have to find a dwarf who is worthy of courting her. There has to be at least one dwarf out there that is suitable."

The other two looked at him doubtfully and he had to bite his tongue to keep from voicing his own doubts. Bella deserved to be loved by someone who truly loved her in return. Still, they had to find someone suitable Finally both Balin and Nori sighed and agreed, unable to come up with a better idea. This was going to be a nightmare of a task all around.


	2. Information Gathering

They set their plan into motion the very next day. Bella was at breakfast nursing a headache when Kili plopped down next to her and started filling his plate, grinning cheerfully. "Good morning, namad."

She scraped up a smile for him but it seemed more of a grimace than a true smile. She said quietly, "Morning, Kee. What are you up to today?"

He noticed her lackluster greeting and toned himself down. He murmured quietly, "Headache?"

She nodded and he grimaced sympathetically. She was typically healthy, but every so often she would get a headache that she would just have to wait out. It usually happened when she'd been stressed for a long time, the one that she'd gotten after the Battle of the Five Armies had been a doozy, but sometimes they came out of nowhere. She shrugged, "This one doesn't feel as bad, I should still be able to function. So, plans?" She sipped at the cup of headache tea that Oin and Dori had worked together to concoct for her, it really helped if she caught the headache early enough.

He buttered his toast, thinking deeply, "Well, you know that Thorin declared today a holiday to celebrate our kin's return. I haven't been able to spend a lot of time with you lately, so I thought that I'd spend the day with you. What are your plans for today?"

She arched an eyebrow at him, "Why not spend the day with Fili? Or your amad? I'm just going to be working with my plants, getting them ready to go. Now that they're here, I can get really going on all the things that I've been unable to get going without the plants and seeds."

Kili shrugged, "I can see Fili anytime and amad will be busy today getting her old workroom cleaned and set back up. I haven't gotten to spend time with you for ages, you've been so busy in the library finding volumes about farming and helping Ori with all the various book stuff that you've been doing. Is it so wrong to want to spend time with my sister? Besides, this way I can learn some hobbity stuff so I can better understand and take care of you."

Bella couldn't help the smile the quirked her lips, "You can be incredibly sweet when you want to, Kee. Very well, I've missed spending time with you as well. I keep telling myself when things calm down but I'm coming to believe that they never will."

Placing another rasher of bacon on Bella's plate, Kili shrugged, "We'll always be busy to some extent, but things will start slowing down soon. We're almost all caught up and the rest of the projects are long term ones that will take decades or longer to complete. Then it will be just the day to day running of the mountain and whatever little personal tasks that we want to do. And with more dwarves around, work loads will be lighter."

She laughed, the tea having helped to ease her headache to a bearable pain, "Yes, but how many dwarves will want to work in the fields instead of being inside of Erebor. I think that I shall have my work cut out for me."

Kili rolled his eyes, "Dwarves will be lining up to work with you. Balin and Dwalin are going to have to help you vet them, maybe even Nori as well."

She rolled her eyes, "Why in the world would anyone be lining up to work with me?"

Gimli plopped down in the chair on the other side of Bella and nodded his greeting to Kili before turning his attention to Bella. "Why wouldn't dwarves what to work with you, Mistress Bella? You're smart and knowledgeable about your craft, all dwarves appreciate learning from a master of their craft. Not to mention that you're incredibly brave. I'm still green with envy that I didn't get to go on the quest, you know? However, adad tells us that you acquitted yourself beyond reproach, something I can easily believe. Not to mention that you're one of the prettiest lassies that I've ever had the fortune to meet. The company must be beating suitors off with sticks. Although none of them would be worthy of one such as you, you're a jewel beyond price, you are."

Bella laughed at that while Kili frowned. Gimli had just arrived, he couldn't have a crush on Bella already, for Mahal's sake! But the way that the younger dwarf lit up at Bella's laughter seemed to indicate otherwise. That wouldn't do at all, Bella needed someone settled and responsible. Gimli was a strong dwarf, but he could be as dramatic as Gloin, his mother's level demeanor having not been passed down to him. Gimli would adore and treasure Bella, but he would also drive her batty within a week with his overblown devotion.

Bella shook her head in amusement, "That's very sweet of you, Gimli. You're just like your father. However, I think that you're wrong, I'm just an odd little hobbit with a knack for growing things." Rising, she ruffled Kili's hair, "I'll be in my office, nadad, whenever you want to join me."

Gimli had puffed up with pride at being compared to his father, then frowned as her words sunk in. When Gimli looked over at him for an explanation, Kili just shook his head, "Her family is a piece of work, didn't treasure her properly, so she's got funny ideas about herself. However, she's not available, so just forget whatever you're thinking."

Not bothering to listen to whatever Gimli's answer was, Kili rose and snagged a roll off the table before scampering after her. Fili snagged his empty chair and asked Gimli, "Where was Kee off to in such a hurry? We don't have any meetings or anything scheduled today."

Gimli shrugged, "He was chasing after Mistress Bella, was planning on spending the day with her. Tell me the truth, cousin, is she courting your brother?"

Fili paused in loading his plate, staring at Gimli incredulously, "Where in the world did you ever get that idea? On the quest, they formed a brother-sister bond and Kili claimed her as kin. Those two do not suit at all as anything other than siblings, trust me."

Gimli grumbled to himself before applying himself to his breakfast with gusto, "He told me that she was unavailable. However, if she's not courting him, is she courting someone else?"

Fili froze when he realized that he couldn't say definitively one way or another. He didn't think that she was courting anyone, but it had been weeks since they'd had a chance to really, truly talk like they had on the quest. Did Kili know something that he didn't. Feeling uneasy, although he was uncertain as to why exactly he felt that way, Fili said slowly, "I don't think so, but Kili or Balin would know best of course."

Gimli nodded, "Why Balin?"

Losing his appetite, Fili nonetheless forced himself to eat. Food had always been scarce enough that he would never take Erebor's bounty for granted. "He's her guardian here, all courting offers have to go through him. Though I recommend that you talk to your father and think long and hard before you offer any courtship. Because if you hurt her, the entire company will be very unhappy, do I make myself clear?"

Gimli just grinned at him and pushed back from the table, "Why would I ever hurt such a beautiful, strong lass such as Mistress Bella? See you around, cousin."

Staring down at his full plate, Fili wondered how such a promising day had turned odd so quickly.

* * *

Bella had made it one corridor further than she thought that she would when Kili caught up with her. She teased, "You're getting slow, Kee."

He shrugged, falling easily into step with her, "No, now that you've learned the layout of Erebor, you move quickly. Not to mention your sneaky skills and silent hobbit feet which means that I can't trace the sound of your steps. Us poor dwarves are just outmatched, is all." She laughed and Kili was pleased to see whatever strange mood she'd been in the day before had passed, the way that she had acted had truly worried him.

She teased, "There is a reason that Gandalf chose a hobbit instead of a dwarf for the burglar."

She'd seen Nori out of the corner of her right before she made her tongue-in-cheek statement. She was not disappointed when Nori came up and looped an arm around her shoulder, his face arranged in a pout, "Oy, that's not very nice. True, but not nice."

Bella laughed and elbowed him gently in the stomach, "What are you up to, Nori? I thought that you'd be busy today, doing your spymaster thing with all the new arrivals."

Nori dropped his arm and walked alongside them, the pout forgotten, "Oh, I am. And a few very interesting things I've discovered already. But I am here on an errand for my estimable elder brother. He said that you had a headache but left before he could see if the tea helped or if you needed something else. Is that true, princess?"

She frowned at him, "Nori! I've told you not to call me that. And the tea worked wonders, managed to head it off this time."

Nori tucked his hands in his pockets nonchalantly and offered her a roguish smirk, "I don't know why you fuss so much, you technically are a princess where Kili claimed you as kin."

She whirled to face the younger prince who had frozen as soon as Nori dropped this bombshell, "Is that true, Kili?"

He shrugged and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Um, yeah? I'd honestly forgotten all about it until Balin brought it up at a meeting a few months ago."

She tugged on her curls, trying desperately to contain her temper. She looked over to ask Nori a question, only to find that he had conveniently disappeared while her attention was on Kili. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, counting mentally to ten. Opening her eyes, she found Kili watching her with a worried expression, "Is it such a bad thing, to be claimed as kin by me?"

Her anger melting away at the insecurity she saw lurking in the back of his gaze, she sighed and looped her arm through his, tugging him into motion. "It's not that, I adore calling you nadad, Kee. But it would've been nice to know exactly what I was getting into. I mean, how many people have I offended unawares? And I know how busy you and Fili are with your royal duties. Do I have some that I've been slacking on? Or has someone been having to do extra work to compensate for my lack?"

The confusion of his face cleared up and the cheerful sparkle was back in his eyes, "Oh, that. Of course you would worry about that, you don't have an irresponsible bone in your body, do you Bella? No, for you, princess is just a courtesy title because you are my kin, there is no power to it. However, your position as a member of the company and a hero of the Battle of Five Armies gives you more than enough power should you want it. Which I doubt, because hobbits are odd creatures indeed."

Bella parried, "Maybe it's you dwarves whom are odd, did you ever think about that? But why would Balin bring up my title if it's just a courtesy title?"

Kili fidgeted but confessed, "Well, it was to figure out how you fit in Erebor and who would be responsible for you." She raised an eyebrow and he'd seen that warning sign enough between her and his mother to know that he was in hot water if he didn't have a good reason and quickly. "It's not whatever you're thinking it is. You know that all of the company was ennobled by uncle, right?"

She frowned at him, "When did this happen? And are you telling me that I'm a noble now too?"

"It was shortly after the first caravans arrived and no, you're not a noble. Uncle said that he valued the loyalty and heart of the few that chose to follow him with a willing heart, compared to all those that had been faithless and tried to stab him in the back. There's been several discussions over who retains their nobility and who doesn't. The entire company was named lords of Erebor and will be afforded equal voice in council meetings. As you know, all of the company chose to retain their crafts, which is totally fine."

She sighed, releasing his arm and unlocking her office door, "You're stalling, Kee, just spit it out already."

Kili followed her into the room and closed the door behind them, not wanting her inevitable yelling to echo down the corridors of Erebor. "It was decided that you didn't need the duties of nobility in addition to your craft of farming and providing to Erebor. It was also decided that you didn't need a title in addition to the three that you already have."

Muttering at this, Bella said patiently, "You might as well tell me what the titles are, nadad. The cat's already out of the bag, might as well let it all the way out."

He sighed, his expression defeated, "Hero of Erebor, Dragon Riddler, and honorary princess of the line of Durin."

Moving over to the plants, she greeted them absently while appearing to think them over. Kili was surprised when she admitted grudgingly, "Those aren't so bad. That hero bit is nonsense of course, I was just trying to stay alive. I actually kinda like Dragon Riddler, although between Smaug and that creep under the mountain, I might happily never hear a riddle again in my life. And if I'm to be a princess, just an honorary one mind you, because I'm kin to you, it's a title that I will wear proudly for the rest of my days. Come help me move this."

He helped her shift the large bags of dirt that she indicated, happiness flooding through him at her words. They worked in companionable silence for several minutes before Bella spoke again, "Don't think that it's escaped my notice that you still haven't explained the whole little 'responsible for me' bit. Care to elaborate?"

Kili froze where he was sitting on the ground, filling pots with dirt for her. Taking a deep breath, he resumed his task, every move careful and precise. "I'll explain the best I can, but you'll have to be patient with me. It's dwarf things and some of it is just such an ingrained part of our culture that we don't even think about it anymore."

She smiled at him, noticing that he had several smudges of dirt on his face. "So it's a dwarf thing, not just a company thing. I understand, go ahead."

He nodded, relaxing slightly, "As you know, females are rare and very precious to us. We care for them and protect them, but never smother them. They must be free to find their crafts and callings same as any other dwarrow. Since you have no blood kin here, you are considered vulnerable, which is anathema to us. And yes, you are kin to me, but I am still considered very young by our people. All of the company consider you kin, don't get me wrong, but no one has made any official declarations besides myself, of course, and I will always be your protector. But an older dwarf, usually male but sometimes a dam, needs to take you under their wing and look out for your best interests. This person will assist you find a craft if you don't have one, a safe place to live and food to eat, clothes to wear if necessary. And if someone wishes to court you, they must first present their suit to your guardian who will deem if they are worthy of you or not. If they find nothing overly offensive in the suit, they will then announce the offer to you and let you decide one way or another." 

Her eyes twinkled mischievously and he spoke drily before she could, "And yes, something is always found because no one is ever truly worthy of a dam, but some things are less egregious than others. Also, should you wish to start a business or venture of some sort, they will help with legal documents and make sure that they are fair and binding and can even possibly provide financial backing if needed. Balin offered to stand in as your guardian until you married and I agreed as your kin. This will continue until you marry, at which time, your husband will take over these privileges in your guardian's stead."

She asked quietly, her gaze a mixture of sadness and curiosity, "And should I never marry?"

Kili shrugged, "That is your prerogative, of course. Not all dams marry. But if you think that it's because of a lack of suitors or interest in you, you are very mistaken, namadith."

Feeling rather overwhelmed by all that she had just discovered, Bella shelved it for a time when she was alone and could properly ponder what all it meant. She told Kili, "I'll figure it out another day and if I have any questions, I'll make sure to bring them to you. But in the meantime, we need to get these plants tended. They've traveled a long way and are in serious need of some TLC." When he pouted, she teased, "You're the one that said that you've been missing spending time with me. Well, know you know the sordid truth. My life is extremely boring and this is what I do all day."

He laughed at that and started teasing her while they worked, Bella firing off witty comebacks as quickly as he did. Yes, he had been missing spending time with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this turned out a bit more serious than I wanted, but I needed to do some culture setup first, shrug. Things should move along nicely from here :)
> 
> And no, her headaches aren't going to be a big part of the story line, she just gets an occasional migraine when she's super stressed. Meeting Dis was of course a major stressor for her, thus the migraine.
> 
> Praying for love, laughter, and rest. We are strong together!


	3. A Family Day and Information Gathered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter, but enjoy!

Much to her bemusement, Bella managed to gather most of the royals in her workrooms before the day was out. Dis had wandered in shortly before noon, looking for Kili or Bella. The first Bella could see, but what the royal dam could possibly want with Bella was beyond her. However, her eyes lit up when she saw both of them and eagerly jumped into their work, asking a million and one questions as well as telling hilarious stories about her time getting everyone ready to leave for Erebor and their time on the road.

Dis had left the main door open when she came in and the laughter echoing down the hall drew Bifur in, his face positively lighting up at all of the plants. Even though he didn't have the ax in his head anymore and was fairly back to normal, he still loved plants and growing things. Bella was pleased to see him because he truly had a knack for growing things and she was thinking of taking him for her second when it came to farming work parties, but was unsure if Dwalin would be willing to part with such an excellent guard.

Thorin appeared at lunch with Dwalin in tow, several dwarves following them with lunch trays. He observed the chaos with fond exasperation and motioned for the dwarves to just leave the food. "I knew the lot of you would forget to eat with all of the new plants. And I knew that you wouldn't be able to stay away, namad."

Dis shrugged and grinned at him from where she was re-potting saplings that would become the new orchards for Erebor, "My children are here, where else would I be? Besides, I know that we'll all be too busy to spend as much time together after today. So I'll treasure what I do have. Besides, Bella ran off before I was done talking with her yesterday." She frowned at the hobbit lass.

Bella was fetching water so they could wash up before eating, called over her shoulder, "It was family time, you hadn't seen each other for months. I'm sure that you all had things that you wanted to catch up on."

Kili gave a frustrated sigh and took the bucket from Bella, "See, amad? I have talked and talked until I'm blue in the face, but she just doesn't get it. Maybe you can make her see reason."

Dis sniffed haughtily, "It's probably Thorin's fault. He probably said something without thinking again."

Dwalin laughed while Thorin was offended, "Oi, that's not true. I apologized and everything for all that happened."

Dis rolled her eyes, "You apologized on what you thought was your death bed. Have you bothered to apologize again when you knew that you weren't going to die and it couldn't be taken as a way to clear your conscience before you died?"

Thorin looked uncomfortable and Bella broke in calmly, "Yes, we've made our peace about that. No need to revisit any of it, ever again, thank you very much. And yes, I know that Kee claimed me as kin but you had just traveled a long way. You'd been separated for months from your kin that you were pretty sure you had sent on a suicide mission, but your people were desperate and there was no other option." All of the males protested, but the women shared grim, knowing looks. "I'm sure that you just wanted to reassure yourself that they were safe and whole. Although I'm kin, I'm still a stranger to you. There will be time for us to get to know one another, to grow as family."

Dis gently tilted Bella's chin up so she would meet her eyes, "Your generous heart does you credit. But there's been a misunderstanding somewhere, maybe cultural because we don't know how hobbits are about such matters. You are kin of my child. That makes you family. You get to see all of us, the good and the bad, the real us, who we are away from the prying eyes of any one else. When we are tired or cross or hangry. When we're laughing at absolute nothing at two in the morning because we're tired and it's funny. And the same goes for you. All of you, the parts that you show and the parts that you hide away, you never have to hide them with us. You are ours, the good and bad parts, it doesn't matter. You are kin, but even more than that, you are family."

Bella felt herself starting to tear up and had to blink rapidly to keep from crying. Dis smiled at her and released her chin. The rightness of it suddenly washed through her, she wasn't alone any longer, she had home, she had a family again. Pitching forward into Dis's waiting arms, Bella buried her face in the older woman's shoulder and let the pain of loneliness that she'd been holding in for so long out.

Kili was distressed, but Dis just waved him off, motioning for them to set up a table in the middle of the clear area where they could eat. Grateful to have something to do, the dwarves quickly sprung into action. It took several minutes of maneuvering and rearranging in order to get it set up and by that time, she'd cried the edge off and managed to compose herself.

She chuckled when Kili offered her a handkerchief. Taking it, she told Dis, "It took forever for me to convince them of the usefulness of handkerchiefs."

Kili laughed, "It's true, amad. We were quite skeptical. However, in her haste to chase after us, she'd forgot to pack even a single handkerchief. It wasn't until after Rivendell that she had them again. I never knew how many possible uses there were for them, from gathering edibles to bandaging wounds. However, I think that the use that won the company over was when you turned your largest one into a sling and outdid Ori in a contest before providing fresh meat for the pot. I think half the company fell for you on the spot there."

Bella rolled her eyes at his ridiculousness but before she could reply, Thorin called, "Come eat, before the food gets cold. You can tell your tales while you eat as well as not."

Reminded that Thorin had indeed brought lunch, they eagerly gathered around the table. Bella sat next to Kili and bumped his shoulder in silent apology. He just grinned and filled her plate. Lunch was a pleasant affair and both Thorin and Dwalin ended up staying and helping afterwards. Bella talked with Dwalin about Bifur and Dwalin lamented loudly over having to give up Bifur. However, he admitted that it rather neatly solved a problem that had been bothering him, as he'd been fretting about her being unguarded outside the mountain while she worked. Having Bifur there with her meant that she'd have an experienced guard with her while she was working outside of Erebor's safety. Although they had taken care of the largest part of the orc army, there were still a few bands of remnants roaming around and wreaking havoc.

Bella sighed but took the care and concern in the manner that it was intended, not a sign of inability on her part, but care and concern on their part for her. Around mid-afternoon Fili wandered in, wondering where his family had gone. Instead of the usual sadness that Bella felt when she saw him, she grinned at him, directing Kili to start moving stuff by the door in order for those particular plants to be the first taken out the following day. "Fili, wondered when you showed up. For some reason, your family seems to think that it's fun to play in the dirt, so who am I to tell them no?"

He laughed at that, "Kili and I grew up in Ered Luin, where we had to do our best to grow our food. Kee and I were usually tasked with carrying water. However, none of us really knew what we were doing, it was a lot of trial and error. So it's nice to work with someone who actually knows what they're doing."

She frowned at the thought of those she cared about struggling before pushing it aside. Putting her nose up in the air, she said haughtily, "Well, don't expect me to go easy on you just because you have experience as a water hauler. We hobbits are very picky about such things I'll have you know. If you don't meet my standards, I'm afraid that you'll have to be demoted to seed counter."

His eyes widened before he caught her teasing tone. He bowed teasingly to her, "I am at your service, O Master Gardener. Uncle always said that the best way to learn a craft is from the bottom up. If I have to start as a lowly seed counter, then I accept my fate."

Her heart caught at the sight of his boyish charm but she pushed the reaction down. She wasn't going to ruin a perfectly good friendship because of her unruly heart. Instead, she offered him a smile, "We won't demote you there quite yet. Why don't you help Kee with those plants so that they can be ready to go first thing tomorrow."

He studied her for the briefest of moments before moving over and joining Kili. However, Bella's attention was quickly diverted when she saw that Dwalin and Thorin were trying to re-pot plants that didn't need it. She quickly dashed over and tried to kindly deflect them, huffing a silent sigh of relief when she found that she'd caught them in time. Having them listening to her intently filled her with warmth, they they followed her directions unwaveringly and asked really good questions showed her that they really did value her experience.

Not to mention the companionship. In the Shire, she had always worked alone or just overseen tasks. Yes, there were the parties and visit from relatives, but tasks were done alone. But this afternoon was spent in laughter and singing. Not to mention the tales that they shared, both of memories and dwarven history and lore. Bella loved every minute of it and they even managed to coax similar tales out of her.

In fact, she had finally broken down and was telling about how she'd raided Farmer Maggot's fields as a faunt when Gimli and Gloin arrived. Gloin joined Dwalin while Gimli joined the princes, staying quiet while she finished the tale. There were many cheers over how she'd outsmarted the dogs (a couple of meat pies and they'd been hers) and how she'd flaunted her stolen goods by feeding them in a tart to Lobelia the next time she'd come to tea. It had made her father chuckle for days over it, much to her much wilder mother's amusement.

However, once the story was over, that's when things got interesting. Gloin took over the entertainment, telling about how he'd found a marvelous and unique deal in the markets to the South. However, Bella was sidetracked by Gimli joining her. It amused her how much Gimli was a miniature version of Gloin, although he was unique in his own way, undoubtedly his mother's influence. 

He asked teasingly, "Did you often go on these runs, Mistress Baggins?"

Bella laughed, "Oh no, they were not at all respectable. The other hobbits would've been horrified if they knew that I was still doing that, when I was no longer a faunt. That's why I had to stretch my trips out over a few months at a time, never more than two or three during the growing season. I always did make sure that I sent along a nice pie to him in thanks though. He always said that I made the best pies, wanted to know what my secret was."

He laughed heartily at that, much harder than Bella thought was warranted. She shifted slightly, uncomfortable with Gimli's proximity and his boisterous nature. She had thought that Gloin was bad, especially when he started waxing on about his wife and child, but his devotion was a much more settled and mature thing compared to his son's energy.

Kili saw how close he was standing to her and scowled before coming over and sending Gimli over to help Fili with another task. Bella huffed a tiny sigh of relief, although she did her best to hide it. "Thank you, nadad. Gimli seems to be a nice enough dwarf, everything his father ever called him, but he's rather..."

When she trailed off, he supplied, "Obnoxious? Irritating? Dense?" The last was offered with a particularly fierce scowl at Gimli's back.

She laughed, "I was going to say overenthusiastic. Was that how Gloin was before he met his wife?"

Kili shrugged, "Amad would know better than I, honestly. Although going by the tales told, Oin and Gloin were quite wild in their youth. However, if Gimli keeps bothering you, just let me know and I'll make sure that he stays out of your hair, tell Dwalin to have him inspect the entire guards training weapons or something."

Sorting some seeds, she asked absently, "Oh, he's a smith?"

Kili admitted grudgingly, "He has the potential to be one of the best blacksmiths of our time, trained under uncle. But he still has to complete both his journeyman's and his master's projects, so he still has a couple of decades of work ahead of him before he is declared a master blacksmith. Which means that he has to still do a lot of little, repetitive tasks, like sharpening blades or making nails, necessary work but boring, excellent tasks for teaching apprentices skill and control."

Bella grinned at him, "Sounds like you're speaking from experience."

Kili said ruefully, "We did what we had to to survive. Both Fili and I made a lot of nails and horseshoes and the like in men's towns. I'll never be a master, but I'm a decent enough smith to get by in a pinch."

"So if I need ironwork done for my gardens?"

"Talk to Thorin, definitely. He might even do the work himself, as a break from all the council meetings that he has to attend. It would be good for him to be able to work out some of his frustration in the forge."

Thorin chose that moment to walk by and said drily, "I could also take it out on you in the sparring ring, nephew. Just remember that."

Bella laughed while Kili protested his innocence, telling Thorin how he had just been bragging up his skills to Bella. The more he protested, the more the others laughed until he finally gave up and sulked. Bella bumped his shoulder lightly with hers, "It's ok, Kee. You and I know the truth. And I appreciate the offer of help with Gimli, but I'm going to try to deal with him on my own first. How hard can it be?"

Kili muttered, "Famous last words." He sighed and straightened, "All right, show me what you're doing so I can help."

Neither of them noticed the blond haired dwarf watching the pair of them curiously from across the room, too caught up in their task, although someone else did.

* * *

Dis was loathe to excuse herself from the merry company, but she needed some information. She signed to Thorin that she would see them for dinner and he simply nodded before she slipped from the room. Once she was satisfied that no one would follow her, she set off in search of Balin. To her delight, she found him in his office with Ori, the other dwarf that she had wanted to see. She shut the door firmly behind her and grinned at the pair, "Just the dwarves that I wanted to see."

Balin nodded deeply to her, "We are, of course, at your service, milady. What can we do for you?"

She perched on the edge of a chair and studied the pair intensely, pleased when neither one broke under her gaze, "I want to know about the relationship between Bella and my son."

Ori tilted his head slightly, puzzled, "Kili claimed Bella as kin, I know that you were informed of it by raven as soon as it happened."

Dis shook her head, her grin turning sharp, "Oh no, not Kili. I want to know what's going on between Bella and Fili." Ori's eyes widened and Balin looked away briefly before realizing his mistake and meeting her eyes again and Dis knew that she had them. She said brightly, "Now, tell me everything!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter - The chess pieces start moving into place :)
> 
> Praying for peace, joy, and comfort. We are strong together!


	4. Putting Together A Crew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a long overdue update, sorry for the delay. Enjoy!

Bella skipped breakfast the next morning, not up to seeing all of the boisterous company. Was it just her or had the company gone weird since their missing family members had returned? Kili had been overly clingy, Thorin had been downright jovial, Bombur was lost in his family, not that she could blame him. In fact, she thought that his wife and little ones were downright adorable, especially when they started calling her Auntie Bella. It made her heart absolutely melt and she'd felt more at home amongst them than she had in months. It was almost like being surrounded by her little Took cousins again.

Balin and Nori had been having a lot of whispered conferences that they hushed whenever she was near and Ori couldn't meet her eyes at dinner the night before, looking guilty for reasons that she couldn't possibly start to understand. But that wasn't the oddest behavior. No, that honor was split between Fili and Gimli. Fili kept watching her without saying a word, a puzzled expression on his face, looking away quickly whenever she caught his eye. On the other hand, Gimli wouldn't stop talking. Every time she turned around, he was there at her elbow, chattering away about anything and everything. She couldn't decide if he simply had Gloin's overly gallant nature or if something else was going on. The way that he kept complimenting her indicated that he might possibly have a crush but he'd only known her for maybe a day, for Yavanna's sake.

Whatever the younger dwarf was up to, it was certainly irritating her nadad, if the heated glares that Kili was sending Gimli was anything to go by. Kili was such a normally good natured dwarf that it was odd to see him irate and scowling. He also talked to Nori heatedly, his hands flying as he expounded on some subject all the while glaring at the younger dwarf.

Bella rubbed her temple wearily. Whatever the case for all of the odd behavior, she still had a lot of work to do and if skipping breakfast would spare her some of the odd behavior, all the better. Making her way to her office, she noticed a low hum of noise. Rounding the corner, she was shocked to see a queue of dwarves lined up outside her office. She closed her eyes, counted to three, and opened them again, but they were still there.

Grabbing the arm of a runner that was walking by, she said firmly, "Get Nori, tell him that I need to see him at once, it's very important."

The runner nodded, his eyes wide, and took off down the hallway. Taking a deep breath, she scraped up her courage and made her way to her office, nodding pleasantly to the dwarves that were waiting, "I'll be with you in just a bit."

The dwarves nodded quietly, their expressions hopeful. She slipped into her office and closed the door, leaning weakly against the closed door for several moments. What in the world was up with the dwarves of Erebor and why were they waiting outside her office?

She paced nervously in her office until Nori came slipping in the door, his face concerned, "What's up, lass?" He looked her over carefully, but she didn't appear to be hurt.

Bella waved at the door and hissed quietly, "What is all that?"

He frowned at her, "All of what?"

Propping her hands on her hips, she said calmly, "Why are all those dwarves waiting outside my office?"

The confusion cleared from Nori's face and understanding took it's place, "Ah, that. They probably want to be part of your work crew."

Holding onto her patience by the thinnest of threads, she asked, even as her stomach gurgled noisily, "And why, pray tell, do they think that I'm going to have a work crew? How would they even know about a work crew? I only got the supplies two days ago. Not only that, but I can't afford to pay a work crew, there's no earthly way. You know that I gave away all of my treasure."

Nori grinned at her, even as he started searching through his many pockets. "Ah, I see the problem now. Let's see, everyone knows that you need a work crew because feeding a mountain the size of Erebor singlehandedly is simply not feasible. How they knew it was you? Lass, all you've talked about for months is what you want to do with the farming and crops around Erebor. Not only that, but everyone in that caravan knew that they were carrying plants for the Thain's granddaughter to plant, the only hobbit in the mountain. Finally, you don't have to worry about paying them."

She threw her hands up in exasperation, "Nori, I am not going to make them work without pay. That's just heartless."

Nori finally found what he was looking for, pulling a wrapped package out of his pocket, "Here, nibble on this, princess. They can hear your stomach growling all the way in Mirkwood. And it would be heartless not to put together a work crew. All dwarves need to be in a work crew in order to get a stipend from Erebor. This will continue until Erebor is fully restored and dwarves can return to whatever their true craft is. But the news of Erebor being reclaimed will have traveled far and wide and all sorts of scavengers will try to come and join the feast. I'm sure you know the type."

She sighed, accepting the packet and unwrapping it to find some rolls. Nibbling on one, she nodded, "Oh yes, lazy louts that try to do as little as they can to get by and most of that very poorly. Wastes of space, they are."

Nori nodded sharply, "Aye, and we don't want those sorts here. So we have work parties overseen by various trusted people who then send a report to Balin. If they all did their work or at least tried their hardest, then Erebor sends the overseers a weekly sum to disperse to their workers. Sometimes, if a dwarf works hard but is not a good fit for the job, their supervisors may recommend them for a different work crew. However, if a dwarf does not work, causes problems, or is overly aggressive, they can be removed from the crew that they are on. Each dwarf is given three chances. If they get removed three times, they are sent from Erebor unless there are special circumstances otherwise. And let me tell you, those circumstances would have to be special indeed to allow a dwarf to stay here. Thorin's trying to create a safe haven for dwarves who want homes, not for whatever dwarf thinks that they're entitled to all that they haven't earned."

She offered him a roll and he shook his head, "So I get a crew to oversee for the planting?"

He nodded, "Within reason, of course." He studied her carefully, "You really thought that you were going to have to do this all by yourself, didn't you?"

She shrugged, "I couldn't see dwarves being willing to grub in the dirt when they could be mining and building and crafting. Would two to three dozen dwarves be all right?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Will that be enough? That seems like too few to feed a mountain this size. If you need more, talk to Balin, he'll be more than willing to approve you more funds. We know that you aren't greedy and won't try to skim profits."

She rolled her eyes, "Fair enough. Now scat, I have all these people to interview and I'm sure that you have things that you need to take care of."

Nori hesitated, "Are you sure, Bella? I can stay and help you sort if you feel uncomfortable."

She lobbed the last roll at his head and he caught it deftly. She smiled at him, "Don't worry, I've got this. However, I will have you investigate if needed. Now shoo, if I can keep you lot alive on the quest, this will be a spring stroll."

He nodded, making a mental note to drop in several times throughout the day, just to be on the safe side. With a last glance, he nodded and slipped from the room.

Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and centered herself before going to the door and calling the first one in. Seeing how long the line was, she sighed internally. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

It was nearly dinner time when she finished interviewing all of the waiting dwarves. Several had been rejected immediately, obviously a poor fit for working with plants or working with her, although that behavior toned down when Bifur joined her at mid-morning. She was glad yet again that she had convinced Dwalin to share him with her, as he had proved invaluable during this process. Still, it did make her wonder how many of the dwarves would've acted worse if Bifur hadn't been there.

Finally, the last interview was done and she dismissed Bifur as well, knowing that he would have other duties that he needed to finish up with before they started their gardening tasks. Bifur had grumbled slightly but winked and left, telling her that he would be back in the morning for the next bit. She groaned and thunked her head on the desk, waving wearily at Bifur to go away, which he chuckled and did.

She allowed her head to rest on the desk for several minutes, wondering what in the world she had gotten herself into. After all, what did she know about a large farming operation? Especially, what did she know about overseeing a large group of dwarves. She heard the door open but didn't bother looking up. Nori and Dwalin had done a good job of making sure that the halls of Erebor were safe and should it be anyone wishing her ill, they would get a nasty surprise in the form of a special pepper bomb that she had created.

But she recognized the heavy tread that crossed the room and Kili crouched next to her, poking her lightly, amusement in his voice, "Are you dead?"

Without lifting her head, she rolled it to the side to the side enough so that she could see Kili and whined, "I'm close enough, just leave me to die in peace."

He chuckled at that and poked her again, which caused her to bat his hand away irritably. This didn't stop him and he tugged gently on one of her curls, "What's the matter, namad? Why are you feeling grouchy? Is it because you missed breakfast and lunch?"

She sighed and straightened, fixing him with a glare, "Has anyone told you lately how irritating you are?"

He grinned and stood, moving over and perching on her desk, "All the time, it's part of my charm." He reached out and lightly tapped the furrow between her brows. "So, what has caused this. You were happy enough yesterday, with all your plants and plans, so what gives?"

A reluctant grin tugged at the corners of her mouth, "I was happy. But that was yesterday, today I am cranky. Did you know that I would be assigned a work crew?"

He nodded, "Yes, Balin and Thorin allocated up to eight dozens dwarves for the fields, didn't they tell you?"

She sighed, "No, no one bothered to tell me anything. I always assumed that I would have to be doing all the work by myself, that no dwarf would want to work outside of the mountain, not with so many things to repair and do within Erebor." Kili looked a tiny bit guilty at that, but she waved it away. "S'all right, Kee. I just wasn't expecting it at all. I was certainly not prepared to face a queue of dwarves outside of my office door first thing this morning. I spent almost all day just interviewing dwarves. And goodness." Her expression was filled with amusement and pity, "If the dwarves that I interviewed are the indicator of general farming knowledge amongst you lot, it's a wonder that you haven't starved. It's no wonder that Ori doesn't like green food, I wouldn't eat half the things described grown to me today."

He rolled his eyes, "Surely it wasn't that bad."

She raised an eyebrow and gently shoved him off the desk, searching through her notes for something specific. "Oh, you think so. One of the dwarves I asked why they wanted to learn how to garden and he said, and I quote, 'Ma always said that if I didn't wash behind my ears, I could grow taters back there. I'm a natural farmer.' And that wasn't even the most interesting answer."

Kili looked at her incredulously and she nodded. He roared at that, laughing hard enough to unbalance himself from his precarious perch, causing him to hop down from the desk and sprawl comfortably on the floor, his laughter echoing off the walls. 

She carefully sorted through her notes while he laughed, separating them into four piles: Yes, thinking about them, no but hilarious, and just no. Finally Kili pulled himself together and stood up. "C'mon, the others need to hear some of these stories. I'm sure that there have been some doozies, if my experience was anything to go by." She looked at him curiously and he expounded, "Fee and I were helping Dwalin with the guard, Fee with swords and me with archery. And let me tell you, there were some interesting stories and excuses with that lot. Come to the company room and we can swap stories. I bet the others have some great ones as well."

She grabbed her notes and slipped them into a carrying case that Ori had gifted her before slipping her arm through his, "Did you ever think that we would be in charge of people, Kee? I mean, you probably did. I kinda did, a little bit. I had to, as master of Bag End. But I never foresaw overseeing teaching dwarves how to farm in a mountain hundreds of miles away from the Shire."

She asked thoughtfully as something occurred to her, "You don't suppose that Dale would like to learn how to farm as well? They probably don't know much about farming, if I remember correctly what the land around Laketown looked like. It was rather, bleak."

Kili shrugged, "There's a reason that the area a dragon settles is called a desolation. They're fishermen now, although I suppose we can send a raven to Bard. You're very kindhearted, namad."

She laughed, "And you're not? Don't think that I've forgotten about the tiny bows that you were making for the children while they were sheltering in Erebor." 

He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Don't spread that around, will you? I know that there are several irate parents who would love to find that fact out."

She laughed at that as they made their way into the corridor, shutting the office door firmly behind her, before strolling down the hall towards the company's rooms. "My lips are sealed, you have my word. Although I did hear several of them muttering about Bard, so I think that you're safe from suspicion, nadad."

He chuckled at that while glaring at a passing dwarf who appeared to glance at her for a moment too long. She poked him sternly in the side and frowned at him when he glanced down at her. She asked quietly, "And just what is up with all of you lately? It's like you've lost your minds since the caravan came. All these hushed conversations and weird looks, not to mention glaring at everyone. What in the world is going on? Is there some sort of bad news that you're not telling me? Something about the Shire?"

He looked rather startled at that before looking rather sheepish, "Sorry, namad, didn't mean to make you worried. No, we've just been having to sort out several problems that come with an influx of new people into an area. There are always inevitable problems and we've been trying to get a handle on them. Sorry for making you worry."

She studied him carefully before deciding that he was telling her the truth, or at least mostly so. She sighed, "Why didn't you say something? I'm an expert at sorting out housing disputes and such. I was the head Baggins in the Shire after all."

Kili did his best not to fidget, "It's all right, Bella. Anyone can handle this with a little bit of patience, no one else can deal with the farming. It's more important that we all be able to eat this winter than to figure out what makes two identical houses different and one better than the other."

She chuckled at that, well remembering the seemingly nonsensical arguments that the hobbits could get into over absolutely nothing. Dis chose that moment to join them in heading towards the common room, scowling and muttering under her breath. She asked tiredly, "What's so amusing? I could use a good laugh after having to listen to pointless arguments all day."

Bella laughed some more, Kili joining in. "That's what we were laughing about, the inanity of some of the arguments that people have."

A small smile lifted Dis's lips at that, "So true. I had to listen to two dwarves arguing over which way was the proper way for a door to open. Why does it matter as long as you have a door open and close and a proper roof over your head. How easily they forget how rich we are right now, even with the homes in as poor shape as they are now."

Bella offered tiredly, "You don't even have to worry about weather here. You are completely sheltered and warm and even decently fed. I mean, it's not up to hobbit standard, but give me a couple of years and then it will be up to snuff."

Kili laughed at that, "It's true, amad. Hobbits take their food very seriously. That feast that we had that first night at Bag End was magnificent, never had we eaten such deliciousness."

Bella shrugged, although she knew that her cheeks were pink from Kili's praise. "That wasn't a feast. That was a poor showing by any hobbit standard and with such grudging manners about it too. I am ashamed when I think back upon it. Now, after harvest, I'll make all of you a real hobbit feast, one fit for family!"

Dis cheered up immeasurably at that, her voice filled with satisfaction, "So you are planning on staying in Erebor after all. I had wondered, you looked so sad at times over the last several days, that I half believed that you would want to return to the Shire with the next caravan."

A startled voice said behind them, "Bella was leaving?"

They all paused and looked back at Fili who was standing behind them, looking rather shell shocked. Bella couldn't stop the giggle that slipped out, "No, Fili, your amad was glad because I am not leaving. I was telling her about my long term plans, which includes improving fare to hobbit standards. Nothing to fret about, if I decide to go, I will tell everyone upfront, not sneak away like a thief in the night."

His expression was still uneasy but his tone was light as he held the door for them, "Well, hobbit standard is quite the standard. I still remember that feast the first night we met. It was magnificent."

She couldn't hold back her laughter, the sound spilling out of her, sweet and rich. Patting him lightly on the arm as she passed, she said, "You and Kili are two of a kind and much too sweet for your own good. Come, we're going to share ridiculous stories."

The others nodded and entered the room, calling out eagerly to the others that were already gathered there. Fili followed after them, allowing the door to swing shut as he absently rubbed at the ache in his chest. What in the world was going on with him?

* * *

While the others swapped stories about the various dwarves they had interviewed to great gales of laughter, Dis, Balin, and Nori worked on sorting through the piles of notes of the dwarves that Bella had interviewed. Bella had helpfully sorted them into four piles to make it easier for them to skim through, but there were still several dozen interviews to go through.

As Dis skimmed through the stacks, her frown grew deeper and deeper. Thorin had looked over at one point and lifted a brow inquiringly, but she shook her head. This was nothing that he could help with at the moment, although she would be speaking with him on several very important subjects soon. Finally she set aside the last page and turned her gaze on the other two.

They were frowning as well, unhappy with some of the comments that they had read in pages. Glancing quickly at the others to make sure that they were still occupied with their stories, she murmured fiercely, "Please tell me that someone gave the lass at least a basic understanding of dwarven culture?"

Balin and Nori looked at each other guiltily before Nori said quietly, "Ori might've told the lass a thing or two, but there was just no time, trying to keep body and soul together this winter. There was never just time to sit down and have a nice little chat and explain all the in's and out's of being Khazad."

She snorted at that, "Which is male speak for saying that you surrounded the lass with the company and didn't let anyone else catch so much as a glimpse of a curl." They scowled but didn't dispute it which told her that she was right. She said firmly, "Balin, I know that you've been named guardian, but this is a crying shame. I am claiming mentorship of the lass. If she's to make her life here in Erebor, she needs to understand all the aspects of it. You can't shelter her any longer, she deserves the chance to find either her One or find love, to settle down and have a family. We owe her that chance and we can't stand in the way of her happiness simply because no dwarf will ever match up in your mind."

They shuffled their papers but it was surprisingly Balin that broke first. He sighed and said, "You're right, the lass does deserve happiness. We've already discussed this a little bit, she told us the other day that she thinks that she's a spinster and unwanted. But how can one not want to guard such a precious treasure?"

Dis smiled at that, "Oh no, we're not giving up guarding her, she truly is a treasure. However, we are giving her the tools to better navigate her new home. And honestly, it's better that a dam teach her than a bunch of dwarrows, no matter how well meaning they might be."

Nori couldn't keep the relief off his face, "That will be a relief, that's for sure. Just the thought of trying to explain everything that a lass needs to know to one as sharp witted as Bella makes me dizzy. However, if you need any assistance, just let me know and I'll do what I can." He glanced over at where Bella was describing something animatedly with her hands. He asked quietly, "Are you going to speak with her tonight?"

Dis shook her head, "Tomorrow's soon enough. It's just the company here tonight, none have made courting overtures towards her, right?" Balin and Nori shook their heads and she sighed before offering them a small smile. "Gimli is clearly smitten, but Kili is quite good at heading him off. Let's just enjoy the evening with kin and laughter. I'll help her sort her work crew as well."

Joining the others and seeing the golden haired hobbit lass sitting like a bright, delicate flower in the midst of the burly dwarves, although her kind heart and bright spirit shone and showcased her inner strength, Dis thought wryly that she would definitely have her work cut out for her. Oh well, she'd always wanted a lass of her own and this had the potential to be both fun and challenging, just what she enjoyed most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ThisBadge, hope you're doing ok, sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out.
> 
> So, I'm making a bit of a change in how I'm going to go about this story. Each chapter, I'm going to focus on a different aspect of dwarven culture and courtship. I'm thinking about starting off with braids, but we'll have to get Dis to tell us what she plans to teach Bella first, lol.
> 
> Praying for strength, laughter, and renewal.
> 
> We are strong together!

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be so much fun!


End file.
